Sunday, December 02, 2007

Chasing a book about Fiji - as usual

from wA book we really wanted to read is at the local Deakin library so I waited until the due date (about Nov 23) for someone to put it back, then lo and behold, someone has taken it out again until January 7th! Sobosobo! It's too expensive to buy - about $70.It's By Andrew Thornley and translated by Tauga Vulaono. Exodus of the i taukei: The Wesleyan Church in Fiji 1848-74. and written in English and Fijian. Monash Uni has a copy but that's a bit of a hike from Geelong. It's probably a more developed discussion than the Mai kea ki vei based on a church history conference in Davuilevu which we have been able to read locally.

Peceli and I were talking this morning about the fact that to understand the Fiji Methodist Church of today, we do need to know the story of 19th and 20th century church history in Fiji and the way the vanua, protocol, customs became an integral part of the lotu of today.

7 comments:

Thanks Carmel,the book for sale is in UK so that would be slow to reach here. I'll just wait for the local uni to get their book back, and then shhhhh I might photocopy some pages.... 10% is allowable for research they say.w.

So glad you are interested in this book. It does indeed examine in much greater depth the interaction of lotu and vanua during the pre-colonial days. I am sorry to hear that it is going for $70 Australian in Geelong. Some middle merchant is profiting by too far since it retails in Fiji for $40.00 Fijian. Andrew Thornley

Hello Andrew,We still haven't read the book but it should be in Deakin Library so we must drive out one afternoon.The subject is very important today because the church and lotu is still a hot topic - how they are intertwined, particularly in the Methodist Church in Fiji which has maintained a firm anti-coup position.w.

Thanks for your response. I am currently in Fiji. Yes, the Methodist Church has taken a strong anti-coup stance but their position overall has been compromised by support for earlier coups, in particular1987. A few days ago the Methodist Church hosted a very valuable Seminar on Christianity and Democracy in which Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, though supporting some of the ideas of the Charter said however that it had little credibility since it was being pressed through under the barrel of a gun.

Dear Andrew,I'm glad that you are in Fiji to give some input to these discussions. Yes, Ratu Jone said some good things. I'm sure many people are confused and keep changing their minds. (Labasa and Macuata people included.) The charter has some wishful thinking no doubt and mother statements that we can all agree with but those guys do not have the mandate to make great changes. Church and a kind of ethnocentric nationalism seem to go together but it is good that they are having a forum for discussion. My soft spot is for the Indian Division people also.Why did Lorini Tevi put her hand up to help? I notice she is also in the forthcoming debate so maybe she will explain her views there.w.We've just come back from a lovely wedding and Peceli is already sleeping!

Its a long time since I wrote and you may already know this but I have recently learnt that three of my books [The Covenant Makers, The Inheritance of Hope and Exodus of the I Taukei] have been posted in their entirety on Google Books. The reason for this, I suspect, is that the publisher, the Institute of Pacific Studies[IPS], who are holders of the copyright on all their books and in a last magnanimous gesture, have probably given permission for Google to copy all their publications, in view of the fact that IPS has been effectively closed down by the University of the South Pacific.

Links

About Me

Babasiga (pronounced bambasinga) is the dry land of Macuata in northern Fiji - our place in the sun in Fiji. Peceli is from Fiji from the village is Vatuadova and the beach is Nukutatava. Peceli Ratawa passed away on 27th December 2015 so this is Wendy's blog now. Wendy is an Australian and today live in Geelong, Australia.